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Knicks Coach Praises Mikal Bridges

Mikal Bridges had arguably his best game for the New York Knicks in his last appearance.

Jeremy Brener

Dec 1, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges (25) celebrates after scoring in the fourth quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Dec 1, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges (25) celebrates after scoring in the fourth quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
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New York Knicks guard Mikal Bridges has struggled during his first season with the team as he adjusts to his new role.

However, Bridges broke out of his slump in Sunday's win against the New Orleans Pelicans when he scored a game-high 31 points on 12 of 19 shooting with seven 3-pointers.

Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau gave some kind words to Bridges regarding his performance.

“The thing is we all tend to measure someone by if the ball goes in," Thibodeau said h/t Posting and Toasting. "I felt like he played an all-around game. He cut, got some easy baskets cutting, he made seven 3s, I thought he shot good 3s, and that’s—you’ve gotta do what you always do. You’re an all-around player, and that’s what makes him who he is. So I felt like guys created good offense. He kept moving. He was hard to guard, and I think easy baskets helped. I think his defense was really, really good. So a lot of good things from that.”

When Bridges is making his mark, the Knicks are simply better off. There's a reason why the team sacrificed almost its entire cupboard of draft picks to acquire him, and games like this make that look like a smart decision.

Thibodeau hopes that Bridges can use his performance against the Pelicans and parlay it into a streak of positive games.

“The thing is, the game tells you what to do," Thibodeau said. "That’s it. If you’re open, you shoot it. I think moving without the ball, he’s always been a great cutter, he’s always been good in transition. And then the corner threes he [has] shot extremely well throughout his career. So just take good shots. It’ll come around. He’s still averaging almost 16 points a game. Just help the team win. That’s the bottom line.”

Bridges and the Knicks are back in action tonight against the Orlando Magic.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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